Pender's Blog by Lee Pender, RCPU Editor

Microsoft Turns to Virtualization To Boost Windows 7 Adoption

Windows 7 is the real thing. It's the true heir to XP's throne and the next Microsoft operating system just about everybody will end up having. That much we know.

The challenge for partners, though, is to get their enterprise customers to move to Windows 7 when so many companies seem content to stick with XP. Redmond magazine offered advice on migrating to Windows 7 back in January, and now Microsoft is releasing tools that will make the migration effort easier.

If Microsoft had a tag line for the move to Windows 7, it would likely be "Virtualize It!" This week, Redmond added a bunch of virtualization applications to its Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2010. MDOP is a set of tools geared toward helping enterprise customers migrate to new software, especially Windows 7.

The new virtualization apps in MDOP are part of a big push by Microsoft to get companies to take the plunge into Windows 7 (and Office 2010, eventually). For partners, Microsoft is not only making the migration pitch easier with new virtualization apps, it's also offering all sorts of facts and customer testimonials online.

So, now is as good a time as any to embrace virtualization in the Windows migration process and jump on Microsoft's Windows 7 bandwagon. Finally, there's not only an operating system worth migrating to but also a pretty robust set of tools that make migration easier. Well done, Microsoft. Partners, it's all up to you now.

What's your experience with using virtualization to migrate to Windows 7? Share it at [email protected]